The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-11

When we returned home she began to
droop. | did not understand for long
time. My father left his books sometimes
and staid with her. He was more gentle in
his manner toward her, but few words
passed between them. One day he said:
''Olive, want your forgiveness. tits too
late now TO make you happy, if ! ever
could. But you have been true wife, and
| have always loved you. | cannot say
more.n
She seemed content with that. She gave
him look of unutterable love, and the
smile that came into her face never left 1t.
One day she called me TO her, and with in
finite tenderness and pity in her voice told
me she was dying. All, me! | sawit then !
Wild with grief, | chung to her breast and
said she should MT leave me! / would not
let her go! She was NINE, and God did not
need her, and He had no right to Ike her.
l remember how beautiful she was in
death, how sweet and restful she looked
yet | shrank away from her, frightened at
the icy lips | tried to kiss think must
have died that night, hidden down in the
bed-clothes, shuddering in the darkness and
loneliness if my father had not come up to
me. He did not speak to me- but ne held
my hand, and did not scold me for crying
In my childish misery i vowed that | never
would try again to love the God that took
my mother away. | had her intense ma
ture and his fierce pride. She had taught
me the love, he the bitterness
My fathers cousin and nearest relative
was Harold Harwood, of HARDWOOD Place.
Soon after my mothers death he wrote to
my father and asked him to bring me to
visit my cousins The idea seem to please
him, and he took me there. He stald a
month, and when he started on his travels
again | begged him to leave me. He was
1,nt what ba had Ha caaplp1 hl.nyan
and sad. | longed to know if his heart
ached for my mother as mine did, but
would not ask him. He left me with the
promise that he would return at the end of
the year and take me back to Venice.
was IL years old. My cousins were girls of
Sand years.
Their bright ways were like revelation
to me--a revelation of what childhood con-
tains of innocent mirth and free, untroubled
happiness How different from mine !
They had no mother, but their brother had
scarcely missed her. They almost wor-
shipped him, and were perfectly frank and
free IN their manner to him.
The black nurse, at the head of the we'll
trained servants, kept them and the house
in perfect order She was the most capable
black ever saw. Tall and stately i'll ap-
pearance, scrupulously neat in her dress, with
kind of motherlinesS in the homely face
with it's wide mouth and great, shining
eyes that made it good to look at. | had
been an exile from the home of my fathers
from my birth, and knew nothing of the
customs of the South. | used to wonder
very much when [ saw my cousins climb
into her lap and cover her tawny cheeks
with KISSES
At first was proud and shy, but soon
felt that she gave me sympathy, and my
heart opened.
I shall always remember the astonished
look in Bessie's eyes when told her one day
that did not love God because He was
cruel and took my mother where | could
never see her.
And where is sheF' she asked me.
I'm Paradise" said.
And isn't God there, too!"
Il suppose So" l answered, doggedly.
"Then think you ought to love Him, :"
she said, ''for didn't He take her there, as
He did our mother, beause He loved her,
and wanted her to be ever SO happy. Ana
you He wants to stay here with us, and let
us love you and have lots of fun and after
awhile when you get tired, why He'll let
boys
But didn't know you then, and / had
nobody else but mamma, and you don't
know what an ugly old house it was and
how cold she was-and loved her SO"
Here | broke down, and she put her arms
around my neck and kissed and comforted
me. That was the first lesson she gave me-
My father came for me at the appointed
time. Wewent back to the dark old house
upon the waters that he loved. He said he
was tired, and could rest in no other
place. o, the horror of going back to that
unnatural, sorrow haunted home The
sound of my own footsteps, as they echoed
through the gloomy corridors and great,
desolate rooms, made me start with fear.
Ny father was restless. Some terrible grief
seemed to be gnawing at his heart Was it
remorsel As each day he looked more
weary and spirit-broken, great pity for
him sprang up in my heart. longed to
know his secret, but | dared not ask
Again and again | resolved that with my
own hands would break down the barrier
that divided us, that | would make him
love me before it was too late. For with
the quick intuition that sorrow gives
child, | felt that he would not be with me
long. Yet it was hard to be loving to him
who seldom gave me gentle word.
One night had a frightful dream. A
shadowy figure with a white, awful face,
stood beside my bed. 1t pointed with its
long, skinny fingers to the door, and in
hollow voice it cried:
''Your father is deviln
Then its face grew suddenly round and
red, and the figure had my mothers shape,
and it rushed out of the window, and
heard it laugh wildly as it fell into the
water and shrieked aloud:
HE is devil! devilr'
l awolze with a stiied scream, cold drops
standing on my forehead, and lay perfectly
still, crouched among the pillows, and
trembling III every limb. When the first
horror gave place to restlessness / got up
and dressed and crept to the window. 1t
was dark night. Only few pale stars
were out. There was a low moan upon the
sea, and the air was heavy and breeding
The dark boats, gliding in and out over the
black water, looked weird and unearthly.
A ghostly horror seemed to shroud the
heavens and the earth, and the voices of the
dead spoke to me in the sobbing of the
waves But listenl Was that cry borne
out upon the air by the rising wInd2 1t
sounded like the wall of a lost soul
| went out into the gallery and listened
The house must surely be haunted, |
thought. stood quite still in the dark
ness, my teeth chattering as if an ague-fit
had seized me. A deep groan from my
fathers study
| advanced few steps and listened again.
Only the duh sound of his footsteps echoing
through the lonely house as he walked up
and down, up and down. | crept close to
his door. Was my father mad? | heard
strange, wild noises and the words:
"Will it never leave mes Great God
Must it haunt my brain forever! Is the
night full of evil spirits come to mock me-